Such differences in C/N ratios among land use systems
may also reflect variations in qualities of organic
residues entering the soil organic matter pool and
could be attributed to contrasting vegetation covers.
Caravaca (2002) found lower C/N ratios in cultivated
fields than for uncultivated soils and ascribed the
higher C/N ratios to the input of relatively recent
materials of plant or microbial origin in non-cultivated
soils. The present study is also in agreement with the
findings of John et al. (2005) which reported greater
C/N ratios in forest soils than agricultural soils.
Similarly, Puget and Lal (2005) reported higher C: N
ratio in forest soil as compared to soils under
cultivation and pasture.